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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE-January 9, 2004
Contact: John Johnson, Randy Allen or Andy Frushour
517.332.5046 or www.mhsaa.com

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Jan. 9 – The inaugural Michigan High School Athletic Association Bowling Finals will take place at the Sunnybrook Lanes complex in Sterling Heights on March 5-6.

The 58-lane bowling facility, completely remodeled a year ago in time to host the Women’s U.S. Open Bowling Championships last spring, is part of a complex which includes a 27-hole Donald Ross designed golf course and a 100-room motel. A state-of-the-art automatic Brunswick Qubica scoring system is featured in the bowling complex.

The Sunnybook facility sits on 154 acres in Northwest Macomb County. The bowling lanes and golf course were originally constructed in the late 1930’s. Renovations on both facilities were completed in 2003. Sunnybrook is located within an hour’s drive of approximately 55 percent of the nearly 200 MHSAA member schools which are sponsoring bowling during the 2003-04 school year.

“We’re pleased to announce that Sunnybrook Lanes will host the first-ever MHSAA Finals in bowling for girls and boys,” said John E. “Jack” Roberts, executive director of the MHSAA. “This is a facility that not only has a long-standing tradition of excellence in the bowling industry, but one which has placed a value on participation by young people in this great sport.”

“We at Sunnybrook are committed in showing our continued support for youth and high school bowling and, we are honored to have been chosen to host the first MHSAA tournament at our center.” states Randy Shank, proprietor of Sunnybrook Lanes.

The first MHSAA Finals will take place over two days, with singles action on March 5 consisting of a field of 28 bowlers in each of three classes for boys and girls (84 total for boys, 84 total for girls). Each individual will bowl a qualifying block, with the top 16 advancing to match play thru Finals matches. On March 6, the team champions will be crowned, a 16-team bracketed match play format in each class, consisting of 2 Baker games and 2 regular games in which teams will advance to Quarterfinal, Semifinal and Finals matches. The tournament begins with Regional activity, Feb. 26-27.

The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation of voluntary membership by over 1,200 public and private senior high schools and junior high/middle schools which exists to develop common rules for athletic eligibility and competition. No government funds or tax dollars support the MHSAA, which was the first such association nationally to not accept membership dues or tournament entry fees from schools. Member schools which enforce these rules are permitted to participate in MHSAA tournaments, which attract approximately 1.6 million spectators each year.

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